In the marketing of solid compact medicaments, there is a clear consumer preference for shiny, capsule-like, single or multiple color solid dosage form that is easy to swallow. Generally, gelatinous coatings have been used to achieve a shiny surface on a solid dosage form, also referred to herein as a caplet, pill, tablet, and the like. Caplets are solid, substantially cylindrical shaped medicaments (or elongated shaped); pills are solid, substantially round shaped medicaments; and, tablets are solid, substantially spherical shaped medicaments (see for reference Seitz et al., "Tablet Coating," Chapter 12, Page 346, The Theory and Practice of Industrial Pharmacy.)
Existing devices for feeding solid compact medicaments in bulk, and then presenting the solid compact medicaments into a carrier device for processing (e.g., coating) do not have provisions for orienting the solid compact medicaments. Reorientation of the solid compact medicaments prior to processing is essential because of the high speed and large production volume demands during, for example, coating of selective portions of the solid compact medicaments. U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,009 by Katsuo Kato et al, is one such example of a simple small-article feeder that feed articles into a drop plate without changing the orientation of the articles.
Furthermore, there is no device in the prior art that provides for an instantaneous release of several rows of solid compact medicaments at one time, while allowing the pitch of the solid compact medicaments to change in order for the solid compact medicaments to be introduced into a carrier device.
Accordingly, there persists a need for a reliable, high-speed, relatively low maintenance and simple to use apparatus that provides for simultaneous release and loading of several rows of solid compact medicaments at one time, all having the proper orientation and pitch to be introduced to a carrying device for subsequent processing, such as coating.